Gate-latch.



c. c. Ross.

GATE LATCH.

APPUCATION FILED (1C-L26, 917. 1 ,279, 1 6 3 Patented Sept. 17, 1918. w47 ,y j

l v l l l hll Z 14 ZX Z k Z7// V#7120 5 Zz Witnesses i l Attorneys Inventor K orAnLEYonoss, or SPRINGFIELD, Missonm, Assionon or cnn-HALE ir, c..

Drsan'nor SPRINGFIELD, rrrssopni.

I Garn-Lettori.

Application 1ed October 26, 1917. Serial No. 198,667.

To uit 't0/wm it may concern Be it known that l, @HARLEY C; Ross, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Springfield, Ain the county of Grreenel and State of Missouri, have invented anew and Vuseful Gate-Latch, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is av latching mechanism for agate, andthe invention aims to improve the mounting of the keeper wherewith the latch engages, and to Vprovide novel means whereby the keeper is held in adjusted positions, to coperate with` the latch.

It is wit-hin the province ot' the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains. With the yforegoimg; andi'other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds the invention resides in the combinationv and arrangement of parts andfin the details of construction hereinafter. described and claimed it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed. can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing fromthe spirit. of the invention.

In the accompanyingv drawings Figure 1 shows in side elevation, a portion of a support and a portion of a gate, wherewith the structure forming/the subject matter of this application has been assembled;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmental stop plan, showing a lock in place, for holding the gate in a closed position. y

The numeral 1 denotes a support of any kind, in the prese-nt instance delineated in the form of a tubular post. A U-shaped upper hanger 2 straddles the support 1 and through the rear ends of the arms of the hanger 2, a clamp bolt 3 is passed, to hold the hanger in place on the support 1. The hanger 2 includes a forwardly presented bearing 4. Thevsupport 1 is straddled by a lower U-shaped hanger 5 constructed, generally, like the hanger A clamp bolt 6 passes through the arms of the hanger 5..

and binds the same on the support 1. The hanger @includes a bearing 7. The bearing 7 is provided at top and at its outer edge with a seat or notch 8, and in the sides of the bearing 7, at the top thereof, are formed seats or notches 9. To the rear of the seats 9, the hanger 5 is provided with downwardly and laterally inclined surfaces 10Y extended to the seats 9. I

The numeral 11 designates generally, a keeper, including a side bar 12, the keeper being of U-shape. The side bar 12 is beveled longitudinally, as shown at 14, toform edges 15, the keeper including a ybottom bar 17, a

Atop bar 18, and spindles 19 carried by the bars 17 and 18, the spindles 119 being journaled in the bearings 4 and 7 of'thefresfpective hangers, the bottoni bar 17 coacting with the lower bearing v7 keeper ina vertical position. l

Thenumeral 20 denotes thc stile ofa gate. The shank`21 ofl a latch is threaded as shown at'22 into the stile20,theshank ofthe latch being provided with a transverse head 26 having arms 27 which extend towardthe shank 21, theouter surfaces of the head26,

, to support the Speccation ofiLetters Patent. Pitteld Sept- 1-7,-1,918

at its ends and the outer surfacesof the Y arms 27 being' mutually inclined, as shown at 30, to define upright edges 31. The'arms 27 of the head 26 form seats 29 `whereinside bar 11 of the keeper is received, when'the gate is in latched position. As shown at28, shank 21 of the latch is provided withinclined surfaces which convergeV towardthe head26." i h ',In practical operation,the bottom bar l17 of the keeper 11 may be received in the outer seat 8, or it may be received in one of the side seats 9. In this connection, it is to be observed that, should the keeper 11 be swung around too far toward the post l, the inclined surfaces 10 of the hanger 5 will return the lower-bar 17 of the keeper to one of the side seats 9.

The operation of a latch of this general kind is understood by those skilled in the art, but it may be stated that, when the keeper 11 is disposed in an oifst-anding position with respect to the post 1, and when the bottom bar 17 is engaged in the outer seat 8, the side. bar 12 of the keeper 11 is engaged by the shank 21 of the latch, when the gate 20 is swung to a closed position, the side bar 12 engaging with the seat 29, when the spin dles 19 rotate in the'bearings 4 and 7. Under such circumstances, the keeper l1 swings around until the bottom bar 17 is engaged with one of the side seats 9.

It may happen, however, that, when the gate is swung to a closed position, the bottom bar 17 may be engaged in one of the seats 9, the keeper 11, under'such circumstances, standing at right angles to the plane defined by the gate 20 when the latter is in open position.

cause, when the gate swings to a closed posi-A 'l tion, the edge 31 of the latch will engage with one of the inclined surfaces 1L1`of the bar 12, and the edge 15 of the bar 12 will cooperate with one of the inclined surfaces y of the latch, thereby insuring a swinging of Y' Copies of this patent may be obtained `for the keeper 11 and an interlocking engage- Yment between the latch and the keeper.

lIn Fig. f1 ofthe drawings, the numeral 35 indicates la pad lock comprising a shackle 36.

If desired, the shackle 36 may be made to surround the head 26 ofthe latch, thereby to form a closure for the space between the endv of the arm 27 and the shank 21, so las lto hold the bar 12 of the keeper 11 in the seat29'. l

,Attention is directed to my co-pending application for Letters Patent on a swivel ,gate,latch, Serial No. 198,666, filed on October 26, 1917. The latch mechanism shown in the co-pending application above mentioned, and the latch mechanism shown in this application, have some points in common,A namely, the relatively inclined surfaces 30 of Lthe. head 26 of the latch, `the edge 31 f of the latch, the inclined, converging surfaces 28 lof the shank 31 of the latch, the

beveled edges 14 of the keeper 11, and the edge 15 thereof. These features, common to both applications, will be claimed in the copending application above alluded to, the

claim in this present case being confined to the structural features which are peculiar thereto. y A line of division between the two cases thus will be maintained.

Since the shank 21 of the latch is threaded as shown at 22 into the gate stile 20, it will be obvious that the shank 21 may be adjusted endwise, thereby to position the head 26 properly with respect to the bar'12 of the` keeper 11.

Having thus is claimed is:-

In a device of the class described, a support; a hanger carried by the support and described the invention, what including a bearing; a loop-shaped keeper comprising a transverse bar supported on the bearing, a spindle journaled in the bearing vand a side bar, the bearing having a seat in its outer edge and beingprovidedwith side seats, any of the seats being adapted to receive the transverse bar of the=fkeeper,'the hanger having downwardly and laterally inclined surfacesy leadingV to the side seats; a Y gate; and a latch including a shank mounted Y on the gate, and a transverse head having arms which project toward the-shank,v the side bar of the keeper being engageable withl the shank of the latch to cause theV side bar to engage behind either arm.

In testimony that I claim :the foregoing as i v my own, I have hereto afliXed signature inthe presence of two witnesses. Y

CHARLEY C. ROSS. Y

Witnesses:

J. C. DYSART, CARRIE L.v Horwoon.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissionerof Patents,

Washington, ID. C. 

